Rock On, Mama!

Being pregnant with Mademoiselle was no cake walk. It started off with the doctor giving me the whole, “Your eggs aren’t what they used to be when you were in your 20’s” speech. It was all pretty much down hill from that point.

The entire pregnancy proved to be a very difficult one filled with anger and fear that I might either lose by baby girl or that she would be born prematurely. I was so sick for the first five months, unable to hold anything in my stomach and I developed a pelvic disorder that prevented me from walking or getting in and out of bed without experiencing excruciating pain.

Things we often take for granted like getting in and out of the shower or car, walking in the mall, or running errands were difficult tasks for me to complete independently. I felt terrible and tired all the time. I was also frustrated with not being able to continue Bikram Yoga or indulge in an occassional spa treatment or two. Most of the time I was stuck in the house, but on the days when I managed to drag myself out of bed I refused to let how I felt inside dictate what I looked like on the outside. I held on, with a firm grip, to the fashionable person I was before I got pregnant.

None of this made sense to my cousin, Lorena. She told me to just buy whatever and not care what I looked like since it was only going to be for nine months. Awww fooy on that crazy talk! Being pregnant does not give a woman a free pass to look like hobo kelly and to wear a pair of flip flops with every ugly maternity outfit she owns. Long gone are those days!

But, I find it interesting that there are a lot of women who seem to share this idea. Whenever I was out in public people commented on how adorable I looked. Some confessed that they didn’t take the time to fix themselves while pregnant, but wished they had. I even had one idiot say, “You’re still trying to be sexy.” Oh, you know what came after that. “How can I try to be what I already am.” Ha! Good lord, I was only wearing a halter top, exposing a small portion of my back.

The point I’m trying to make is that my stylish maternity wear seemed to be out of the norm for most women, which is silly because you never stop being who you are. And, there are far too many options available for women to express their unique personal style while being pregnant.

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5 Comments on “Rock On, Mama!”

Love this post! I am only 8 weeks away from giving birth to baby #4 and for far too long all I have seen around here for maternity wear is ugly clown-like ensembles. I’ve often ranted about this on Pierce Mattie PR’s main and fashion blog (I write for them). It upsets me that so many stores carry just oversized t-shirts for us pregnant moms. 😦

Have you seen the lingerie wear from Condessa for nursing moms? I am so getting myself one of her bras. They look like they came out of the Victoria’s Secret catalog, except it is a perfectly concealed nursing bra.

I was just talking to my husband yesterday about a friend’s mom, who is in her late 50s, at least, who dresses so stylish. I observe that some women, when they hit that 40-year-old mark, start wearing those granny dresses (with no tailoring) and these frumpy sweaters and Dr. Schols shoes. I’m thankful that my mom, who will be 53 this year, never sacrificed her sense of style, no matter what she was going through. I think it’s important to maintain a positive appearance (in your own sense of fashion and beauty) regardless of age, pregnancy, or marital status. I am thankful for my mom who instilled this in me. I know that regardless of my age and other world-defined “statuses,” I will always look the best that I can. Thanks for this post, Traci! Rock on, all you mamas and mamas-to-be out there. 🙂

I’m just starting to get the hang of finding the right maternity clothes for me. I’m really lucky that a lot of the fashion right now is perfect for pregnant womam. I am loving tunics and dresses combined with leggings and capri pants. I have even managed to find a gorgeous wedding dress for when I’m six months pregnant.